Clonmel Commercials preparing for final step
The challenge for Clonmel Commercials in beating Newcastle West earlier this month was as daunting because of the formidable nature of their opponents as it was for the weight of history on the Tipperary men.
Four points down with five minutes remaining, that dramatic quarter-final comeback in Clonmel Sportsfield brought to an end nine years without a Tipperary victory in the Munster senior championship.
Victory bridged a gap to Aherlow’s quarter-final win over Limerick’s Fr Caseys in 2006.
“It would have been another hard luck story of a Tipperary team in Munster,” recalls Michael Quinlivan of how Commercials stared defeat in the face.
“Nine years isn’t acceptable for a team coming out of Tipperary. You want to be putting your best foot forward into Munster.
“It definitely gave us huge confidence going into the semi-final and we brought that confidence with us. We weren’t going to let the same thing happen two weeks in a row, where we would start slowly and then try to pull it out of the fire.” And indeed they were much more ruthless when overcoming the Clare champions, Miltown St Joseph’s, in the semi-final.
Even if they lost by 11 points, it was always expected Commercials would go down to an established Dr Crokes side in Killarney three years ago. Commercials were promising but wet behind the ears.
Quinlivan was one of seven club players who had been in Tipperary’s All-Ireland-winning minor panel the year previous. Another two or three were barely out of minor.
“So we were a very, very young team that had won a county championship and didn’t understand how big it was, didn’t appreciate how big it was for Commercials and for the town. It took us a couple of years before we finally realised. That’s why I think this year, we’ve become a bit more steeled in how we’re playing. We do celebrate our games properly. When you’re that young and you have so many things going on, it can be difficult.
“I think this year has brought us together as a group and hopefully we can bring it forward for the next few years.” The pride of the town comes first but representing Tipperary is also an inspiration for Quinlivan. A Munster title would be another shot in the arm for football in the county.
“People have been saying it has been a bit weak over the last couple of years and that has been leading to a weak county team. A stronger club scene around Tipperary would definitely add to a stronger county team.
“If we could turn over Nemo at the weekend, hopefully, it would pave the way for other Tipperary teams to do similar.
“There are some very good teams in Tipperary and we had to beat some very good teams to win the championship.”
Quinlivan tips his hat to manager Charlie McGeever for helping to mature a group and helping them fulfil their potential. “He’s been absolutely super. I don’t know where he gets the time for all of it.
“He must never be at home! He’s been super all through the year. He does have a great backroom team there with him.
“I can’t speak highly enough of Charlie. He really united us as a group, brought us through and then was involved with the U21s as well the following week after we won a county title.
“Thankfully, we haven’t had him tearing his hair out in the semi-final as we have been the whole way through this championship.”
Quinlivan is naturally wary of Nemo Rangers’ Munster record, not to mention how they’ve reinvented themselves, which is likely to mean a sweeper is deployed in front of the Commercials danger-man in Mallow. But the underdogs status suits him fine.
“I think a lot of our problems are when we are playing teams that people are expecting us to beat. We never have a problem playing against a bigger team or what people consider a bigger team.
“I don’t think the mental issue will come into it a whole pile because a lot of us have been playing against Cork teams that we have beaten.”
